Roaming presence and context management

Abstract

Apparatus for mediating between a cellular telephony network and a wireless LAN, comprises a first adaptor for allowing signal exchange with the cellular telephony network, a second adaptor for allowing signal exchange with the wireless LAN; and a presence tracker associated with the adaptors for obtaining and storing a current location of a wireless device on any of the networks. The apparatus allows for mobile wireless devices to connect to wireless LANs and be able to register and receive services from their mobile operator, by treating the LAN in the same way as a foreign network in International roaming.

1 . A server for tracking presence of wireless devices over a plurality of networks comprising: 
 a presence & location database, and a plurality of adapters for obtaining wireless device presence or location data from respective ones of said plurality of networks to place in said database, thereby allowing wireless devices to be tracked over said plurality of networks.    
   
   
       2 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising a network assistance module for selecting a best one of said plurality of networks for a given wireless device to connect to.  
   
   
       3 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing module for detecting a registration attempt of a wireless device over a first one of said plurality of networks, and forcing said wireless device to reregister at a second one of said plurality of networks.  
   
   
       4 . The server of  claim 1 , being a distributed server.  
   
   
       5 . The server of  claim 1 , configured to have access to user account information associated with said wireless device, thereby to extend to prepaid users access to said plurality of networks.  
   
   
       6 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein one of said networks is a cellular network and a second of said networks is an Internet Protocol (IP) based network.  
   
   
       7 . The server of  claim 6 , configured to extract text message data from the cellular network and relay said data in an IP based format to a wireless device connected via said IP-based network.  
   
   
       8 . The server of  claim 6 , configured to extract voice data from the cellular network and relay said voice data using voice over IP protocol to a voice over IP client located on a wireless device connected via said IP-based network.  
   
   
       9 . The server of  claim 8 , wherein said voice over IP protocol comprises the session initiation protocol (SIP).  
   
   
       10 . The server of  claim 6 , configured to infer location on a first network from location information received at a second network.  
   
   
       11 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing module for detecting a context associated with a connection over a given one of said plurality of networks.  
   
   
       12 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is configured to switch said wireless device to another one of said plurality of networks in accordance with said context.  
   
   
       13 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is configured to provide at least one predetermined service to said wireless device, and wherein said processing module is further configured to modify said service according to said context.  
   
   
       14 . The server of  claim 11 , wherein said context can be retained to allow a session to be transferred between one wireless device and another or between one network and another, or between one wireless device on one network and another wireless device on another network.  
   
   
       15 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing module for extracting data from said database to carry out a handover between a cellular one of said networks and a non-cellular one of said networks.  
   
   
       16 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing module configured to modify a route of a call or a message to a given subscriber according to said presence or location data in said presence and location database.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said presence and location server is configured to contain said presence or location data of a subscriber connected via a roaming cellular network or a roaming wireless network.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said processing module is configured to provide a handover of a wireless device between a non-cellular wireless network and a cellular network.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said processing module is configured to reroute said call between a non-cellular wireless network and a cellular network.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said processing module is configured to provide a handover of a connection from said wireless device to a second wireless device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said processing module is configured to reroute said call between a wireless device and a second wireless device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein one of said networks is a wireless non-cellular network and the other of said networks is a cellular network.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said wirelesses devices are respectively any two of a mobile telephone, a wireless enabled portable computer, and a wireless enabled personal digital assistant.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said processing module is configured to provide a handover of a connection between said wireless device and another device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said processing module is configured to reroute an incoming call between a wireless device and another device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said networks are any two of a wireless local area network, a cellular network, a wired network, and the PSTN.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said devices are any two of a cellular telephone, a computer, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant and a conventional telephone.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a user profile database associated with said presence database for making available user customization data to respective wireless devices over said plurality of networks.  
   
   
       29 . A method of providing a wireless device with seamless access to a plurality of wireless non-cellular and cellular networks having respective registration systems, the method comprising: 
 setting one of said networks as a home network for said wireless device;    providing Interworking functionality between said wireless non-cellular and cellular networks to allow a wireless device to connect as a roaming user on a non-cellular or cellular network other than said home network such that said connection is accepted via registration at said home network using a respective home network registration system, thereby allowing said wireless device to move freely between said plurality of non-cellular and cellular networks.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein there is further provided a preferred network database for providing data about connecting via respective networks, said data being usable by a client based on a wireless device to select a preferred network.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , further providing detecting a connection context.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising using said detected context to modify a wireless service provided to said wireless device.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising providing a handover of a wireless device between a cellular network and a non-cellular network using said interworking functionality.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising redirecting a call to a given subscriber from a first of said plurality of networks to a second of said plurality of networks.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising providing a handover of a connection from said wireless device to a second wireless device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising redirecting a call from a first wireless device to a second wireless device belonging to a same subscriber connected via a different network.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein one of said networks is a non-cellular network and the other of said networks is a cellular network.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said wirelesses devices are respectively any two of a mobile telephone, a wireless enabled portable computer, and a wireless enabled personal digital assistant.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising providing a handover of a connection between said wireless device and another device connected via a different network.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said networks are any two of a wireless non-cellular network, a cellular network, a wired network, and the PSTN.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 39  wherein said devices are any two of a cellular telephone, a computer, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant and a conventional telephone.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 29 , comprising adding user profile information to said interworking functionality, thereby to make available customized information to respective wireless devices.  
   
   
       43 . A server system for tracking presence and location of wireless devices, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of servers, each having    a presence database for tracking a plurality of wireless devices over a plurality of networks, and    a plurality of adapters for obtaining wireless device presence data from respective ones of said plurality of networks to place in said database, thereby allowing wireless devices to be tracked over said plurality of networks,    the system being configured such that information is shared between said servers, thereby to permit tracking presence of said wireless devices.    
   
   
       44 . A method for determining that a subscriber is in a vehicle, comprising: 
 receiving location data of a given mobile communication device connected via a wireless network,    if said location data is changing at above a predetermined rate then inferring that the corresponding subscriber is in a moving vehicle.    
   
   
       45 . Apparatus for allowing use of unlicensed mobile access to a roaming user connecting at a network other than his home network, the apparatus comprising: 
 a detector for detecting that said user is roaming at a given roaming location; and    a presence update unit, associated with said detector for sending to said home network and an indication of presence at said roaming location to identify his home network, thereby to allow registration of said roaming user at said home network when connected from said unlicensed mobile access.    
   
   
       46 . Apparatus for mediating between a cellular telephony network and a non-cellular wireless network, the apparatus comprising: 
 a first adaptor for allowing signal exchange with said cellular telephony network;    a second adaptor for allowing signal exchange with said non-cellular wireless network; and    a presence tracker associated with said adaptors for obtaining and storing a current location of a wireless device on any of said networks.    
   
   
       47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein said second adaptor is configured to provide services of said cellular network to said non-cellular wireless network.  
   
   
       48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein said services are any one of the group consisting of: 
 a) intelligent call assistance for assisting with incorrectly dialed numbers;    b) recognition of cellular network defined short dialing codes;    c) direct access to voicemail at said non-cellular network from said cellular network;    d) direct access to services at said non-cellular network that require the transfer of calling line identification (CLI) from the cellular network;    e) delivery of a calling line identification (CLI) to a non-cellular device at a visited network;    f) placing a telephony call from the non-cellular wireless device;    g) sending a text message from the non-cellular wireless device;    h) receiving information on missed calls made to a cellular device at a non-cellular device connected via a non-cellular network; and    i) receiving history information on calls and text messages made to the cellular device at a non-cellular device.    
   
   
       49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein at least one member of said group is provided via a session initiation protocol (SIP) client.  
   
   
       50 . Apparatus for making user profile information available over a plurality of user devices connecting via both IP and cellular networks, the apparatus comprising: 
 a cellular adaptor for connection to a cellular network;    an IP adaptor for connection to an IP network;    a user profile database for storing user profiles of a plurality of users;    a tracking unit associated with said cellular adaptor, said IP adaptor and said user profile database, for identifying and tracking devices connected to said networks and making user profile data of a corresponding user available for a respective device.    
   
   
       51 . Apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein the user profile data is address book information.  
   
   
       52 . Apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein said address book information comprises images relating to subscribers identified therein, the apparatus being configured to send to a respective wireless device an image corresponding to a calling subscriber together with an incoming call.  
   
   
       53 . Apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein the plurality of devices comprise both cellular devices and IP devices.  
   
   
       54 . Apparatus for network selection comprising: 
 a database storing network parameters for a plurality of available networks, and    a user client, for applying to a wireless-communication-enabled device, for communicating with said database to determine from said network parameters a preferred one of said plurality of network for connection thereto.    
   
   
       55 . Apparatus according to  claim 54 , comprising a network component for providing updated network parameters from said database to said user client.  
   
   
       56 . Apparatus for zoned use of a wireless communication device, comprising: 
 zone determination unit for defining a zone; and    location determination unit for determining a current location of a wireless communication unit, such that at least one predetermined condition is applied if said current location is within said zone.    
   
   
       57 . Apparatus according to  claim 56  installed as a client within said wireless communication device.  
   
   
       58 . Apparatus according to  claim 56 , wherein said zone is defined in terms of a predetermined number of cells of a wireless communication network.  
   
   
       59 . Method for zoned use of a wireless communication device, comprising: 
 defining a zone; and    determining a current location of a wireless communication unit, such that at least one predetermined condition for communication is applied if said current location is within said zone.